Kilimanjaro Climbing ToursThe Barranco Wall on Kilimanjaro
The Barranco Wall is the steep rocky ramp every Machame and Lemosho climber wakes up to on the morning after a night at Barranco Camp. This page covers how high the wall is, how long the scramble takes, if you need your hands, what the Kissing Rock is like and which routes cross it. It also lists the bookable Kilimanjaro climbing tours whose itineraries include the wall, with the prices and what each package covers. The bookable trips are compared on Kilimanjaro climbing tours compared.
Climbers on the Barranco Wall. Photo: Altezzatravel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer The wall in one look
The Barranco Wall is a steep rocky slope on Kilimanjaro that Follow Alice puts at 257 m (843 ft) and says trekkers scramble up with hands and feet in about one to two hours. It sits right above Barranco Camp, which sources place at about 3,900 to 3,976 m (13,044 ft). No ropes, helmets or climbing experience are needed, says Book a Trekking. It is a hiking scramble with a few narrow steps, not a technical climb.
Key takeaways
- Four routes cross the wall: Lemosho, Machame, Shira and Umbwe per Follow Alice, and it is climbed on the morning after a night at Barranco Camp. See the routes compared on the homepage.
- The Lemosho Route 7 Days and the Machame Route 6 Days both follow routes that cross the wall.
- Per Follow Alice, Marangu, Rongai and the Northern Circuit avoid the wall, so trekkers who want no scrambling can pick one of those Kilimanjaro routes.
The Wall in Figures
Wikipedia says the Great Barranco and the Western Breach formed about 100,000 years ago when part of Kibo's crater rim collapsed. Operators give slightly different numbers for the wall and the camp below it, so the table shows every figure with its source.
Key Numbers and Where They Come from
The 257 m (843 ft) figure for the wall is repeated by Follow Alice and Peak Planet, but neither cites a survey, so treat it as an operator figure. Barranco Camp altitudes spread from 3,900 m to 3,976 m (13,044 ft) depending on the source. Climb times cluster around one to two hours.
The figures below come from the operator pages and reference sites named in each row.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Height of the Barranco Wall | 257 m (843 ft), no survey cited | Follow Alice, Peak Planet |
| Barranco Camp altitude | 3,976 m (13,044 ft) | Wikipedia |
| Barranco Camp altitude | 3,960 m | Altezza Travel listing, Duma Explorer |
| Barranco Camp altitude | 3,900 m (12,800 ft) | Nafika Tours, Adventure Consultants |
| Time to climb the wall | 1 to 2 hours | Follow Alice |
| Time to climb the wall | 1 to 1.5 hours | Book a Trekking |
| Time to climb the wall | about 1 hour | Altezza Travel listing |
| Barranco to Karanga Camp (4,035 m) | 5 km | Altezza Travel listing |
| Karanga to Barafu Camp (4,640 m) | 6 km | Altezza Travel listing |
| Day the wall is climbed | morning after Barranco Camp, usually Day 3 or 4 | Follow Alice |
Sources: Follow Alice, Wikipedia, Book a Trekking
How the Climb Goes
The wall looks worse from Barranco Camp than it is up close. Here is what the sources say about the scramble itself, the famous Kissing Rock and how porters use the trail.
A Scramble, Not a Climb
Follow Alice describes the Barranco Wall as a steep vegetated rocky slope with no chain ladders, only handholds and a few big steps. Hands and sometimes knees are needed. Altezza Travel calls it a simple hiking trail rather than a climb that takes about an hour.
Book a Trekking says it needs no ropes, helmets or prior climbing experience. The same source names the main risk as rushing, so the advice is simple: take it slowly. The wall looks more daunting from a distance than it does up close, according to Follow Alice.
The Kissing Rock
The Kissing Rock is the trickiest part of the wall, per Follow Alice. It is a narrow spot near the top where climbers hold the rock to pass. If a narrow passage worries you, tell your guide at Barranco Camp before you start.
Crowds, Porters and Exposure
The trail is single file, so the wall can be crowded and slow, and porters often pass off-trail, according to Follow Alice. On exposure the two main sources disagree. Book a Trekking says a few spots sit close to a drop-off, while Follow Alice says there is no point where you teeter over a precipice.
Both agree the route stays a scramble. Trekkers with a fear of heights should tell their guide at Barranco Camp before starting, walk directly behind the guide and take the narrow sections one step at a time. Groups usually top out in one to one and a half hours per Book a Trekking, then continue toward Karanga.
Routes That Cross It
Which Kilimanjaro routes meet the wall depends on who you ask, and the sources conflict. Follow Alice names four routes, Book a Trekking names only two. Here is both sides, plus the bookable climbs whose itineraries include the wall.
Who Climbs the Wall and Who Avoids It
Follow Alice says Lemosho, Machame, Shira and Umbwe cross the wall and that Marangu, Rongai and the Northern Circuit avoid it. Book a Trekking names only Machame and Lemosho as wall routes. Duma Explorer says Umbwe merges with Machame for the upper mountain.
If you want to skip the wall, pick the Marangu Route 5 Days, the Rongai Route 7 Days or the Northern Circuit Route 8 Days.
Bookable Climbs That Include the Wall
Follow Alice says Machame, Lemosho and Umbwe routes cross the wall. On the Altezza Machame itinerary the day after Barranco runs 5 km to Karanga Camp at 4,035 m, then 6 km to Barafu Camp at 4,640 m before summit night. The 7-day Machame Route 7 Days, the 8-day Lemosho Route 8 Days and the steep 6-day Umbwe Route 6 Days are routes that Follow Alice says cross the wall.
Read the full route profiles in the guide to Kilimanjaro routes.
What It Costs to Climb a Route with the Wall
Catalog prices per person for wall-route climbs run from the 7-day Lemosho budget climb by Nafika Tours at $1,960 to the 7-day Lemosho climb by Altezza Travel at $3,959. Machame starts at $2,350 for the 6-day Zara Tours departure, the 8-day Habari Adventure Lemosho trip is $3,200 and the Kili Slope 6-day Umbwe climb is $2,242. Park fees are included on all of these except the ZAFS Machame listing, which does not state them, while flights, crew tips, some hotel nights in Moshi and insurance are not.
Check each listing for exactly what the price covers before you book.
| Tour | Route | Days | Price per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zara Tours Machame | Machame (crosses the wall) | 6 days | $2,350 |
| ZAFS Tours Machame | Machame (crosses the wall) | 7 days | $2,425 |
| Habari Adventure | Lemosho (crosses the wall) | 8 days on the mountain | $3,200 |
| Altezza Travel | Lemosho (crosses the wall) | 7 days on the mountain | $3,959 |
| Kili Slope Tours | Umbwe (crosses the wall) | 6 days | $2,242 |
After the Wall: Karanga and Barafu
Once over the top, the trail runs on to Karanga Camp. The Altezza Travel Machame itinerary puts Karanga at 4,035 m, 5 km from Barranco, and Barafu Camp at 4,640 m, another 6 km on, where summit night starts. Nafika Tours gives Karanga as 4,000 m, and Adventure Consultants lists the same 4,000 m.
Book a Trekking puts Barranco Camp itself at about 3,950 m and Duma Explorer at 3,960 m, a camp it also names as a weather-dependent evacuation point. On a 7-day climb such as Lemosho Route 7 Days the wall, Karanga and Barafu fall on consecutive days, while Machame Route 9 Days Camping spreads the climb over more nights.
Sources: Follow Alice, Book a Trekking
Karanga Camp. Photo: Phase9, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Barranco Wall Tips
Five things that help on the wall and four habits that cause problems, all taken from the operator guidance quoted above.
Do
- Do start early from Barranco Camp because Follow Alice says the single-file trail can be crowded and slow.
- Do use your hands on the big steps because the wall has handholds and a few large steps and no chain ladders, per Follow Alice.
- Do take it slowly because Book a Trekking names rushing as the main risk on the wall.
- Do keep your water and camera stowed for the Kissing Rock because you need both hands to hold the rock at the narrow spot, per Follow Alice.
- Do sleep well at Barranco Camp the night before because the wall is climbed in the morning at about 3,900 to 3,976 m, an altitude where rest matters.
Don't
- Don't bring climbing gear expecting to need it because Book a Trekking says no ropes, helmets or prior experience are required.
- Don't hug the edge on the narrow sections because Book a Trekking notes a few spots sit close to a drop-off, even though Follow Alice says no point teeters over a precipice.
- Don't step off the trail to let porters pass because porters pass off-trail and the trail is single file, so follow the line your guide sets.
- Don't rush the top of the wall to reach Karanga because the next stage to Karanga Camp at 4,035 m is a short 5 km walk per Altezza Travel, so there is no reason to hurry.
Barranco Wall Questions
How high is the Barranco Wall?
Operators including Follow Alice and Peak Planet give 257 m (843 ft), but none cites a survey, so treat it as an operator figure. The camp at its base is placed between 3,900 m and 3,976 m (13,044 ft) depending on the source. More figures are in the table on this page and in the guide to climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
How long does it take to climb the Barranco Wall?
Follow Alice says one to two hours, Book a Trekking says most groups take one to one and a half hours and Altezza Travel says about an hour. It is climbed on the morning after a night at Barranco Camp. General trip lengths are covered in the guide to how long it takes to climb Kilimanjaro.
Is the Barranco Wall dangerous?
It is a scramble with handholds and no chain ladders per Follow Alice, and Book a Trekking says no ropes or experience are needed and the main risk is rushing. The sources disagree on exposure, so walk carefully on the narrow spots like the Kissing Rock. Overall risk on the mountain is covered in the guide to Kilimanjaro deaths.
What is the Kissing Rock on Kilimanjaro?
Follow Alice calls the Kissing Rock the trickiest part of the Barranco Wall, a narrow spot near the top where climbers hold the rock to pass. You meet it on any wall route such as the Lemosho Route 7 Days.
Which Kilimanjaro routes cross the Barranco Wall?
Follow Alice says Lemosho, Machame, Shira and Umbwe cross it while Book a Trekking names only Machame and Lemosho, so the count depends on the source. Follow Alice says Marangu, Rongai and the Northern Circuit avoid it. The full comparison is in the guide to Kilimanjaro routes.
What comes after the Barranco Wall on the climb?
On the Altezza Machame itinerary the day after the wall runs 5 km to Karanga Camp at 4,035 m, then 6 km to Barafu Camp at 4,640 m for summit night toward Uhuru Peak at 5,895 m (19,341 ft). Camp-by-camp heights are on the Mount Kilimanjaro height page.